~Maya’s POV~
The sun shone brightly through the curtains and came right in my face. I closed my eyes and tried to open them again, but failed. I turned to the other side, looking for my husband. He wasn’t in bed. But there was breakfast on the nightstand. I smiled and went to the bathroom to ease myself, took a quick shower, and washed my mouth. I went back inside and climbed onto the bed, took the tray off the nightstand, and started eating. Zion was a great cook, but one wouldn’t know that the man could cook. I finished my breakfast and was about to head outside when I heard the commotion outside. I rushed outside, and I was greeted by my stepmother and my stepsister, Ivy. The classy stepmother and sister were gone. They looked like beggars. What was wrong with them?
“Maya, please just talk to us this once and we will go.” My stepmother begged. They looked like people who had lost it all. Why would the all-mighty Mrs. Jones beg me? I mean, she never liked me. Maybe it’s important.
“It’s okay, Lucas, let them in.”
“Of course, Lady Archer.” I signaled for them to enter and have a seat, but instead they went on their knees while I sat on the couch. She has never loved me, but I can’t allow her to do what she was doing, even without any sentiments from her I can’t allow her to kneel before me. They have never once treated me like family, but if I do the same to them, I’m no different from them. I force myself to call her that one name. I have never dreamt I would call her ever again.
“Mom, get up.” I said that as I helped her up, and she was in disbelief that I called her mom. When she looked at me, she began to cry, and tears streamed down her cheeks. I led her to sit on the couch and rubbed her hands against mine because she looked nervous and weak at the same time. With her eyes on the ground, she muttered.
“I’m sorry, my sweet girl.”
sweet girl?
When did I become a sweet girl to her? I can’t ask questions. She seemed like she was here to talk and let it all out. So I let her speak without interrupting her. “I treated you so badly because I knew you were Robert’s only biological child. Robert didn’t know that Ivy was never his.” My eyes went wide.
Ivy isn’t my stepsister? What is going on?
I looked at her, all surprised, but then she continued, “Robert was the only successful business man in J-City. My family forced me to marry him back then. I had someone I was seeing, and his business wasn’t doing well, like Robert’s business. I married Robert, but I didn’t love him back then, as I was forced into the marriage. I continued to see the one I loved back then while I was married to your father. But as time went on, I realized that your father was the sweetest person ever. He loved me genuinely, so I decided to give us a chance, and I fell deeply in love with your father. I was too late. By the time I fell for Robert, I was already pregnant. You know how your father is. If I told him I was pregnant with another man’s child, he could have kicked me out without letting me explain that I was forced into the marriage. So I made your father believe that Ivy was his. That was a shameful act, but I did it because I loved him and what I had with him was real. Robert loved me, but then as time went on, I heard that he was seeing someone else. After checking, I found out it was his first love, your mother. I got jealous because their love was unbreakable. I approached him about it and he told me that she was already pregnant with you. So, because I knew Ivy wasn’t his, I then made him believe that I was capable of taking care of you and Ivy at the same time. I did that because I wanted to look like a good woman in his eyes and that I might gain his trust so he could leave your mother. So I told him to take you and I would raise you. And it worked. Then I cooked up a story, which I told Robert, and it is the story that you know today. That your mother seduced your father. That was and is not true. They loved each other, but I didn’t want to lose Robert to Chloe. Robert and Chloe started our family company. Your mother gave up everything to your father without a fight, including you.”
She took a deep breath, but I was still trying to process everything that I was hearing. Then she continued, “I made sure Ivy looked good compared to you, because I wanted to convince the world that Ivy was the legitimate daughter of Robert Jones and you were the bastard child. My plan went well for all those years, but the truth finally came out. My lies caught up with me and led my daughter to sleep with her own brother. a sin. I will never forgive myself for that. Ivy’s father is Rick Connor. Ivy and Nathan are siblings.”
I couldn’t control the shock. My hand flew to cover my mouth, turning my attention to Ivy, who hadn’t said anything since she got here. I hated her, but I wouldn’t wish that on anyone, not even my greatest enemy. I looked at her and she was sobbing with a face full of regret. I should be happy that she wanted Nathan and told me I wasn’t worthy of him. I should be happy that the same man she had a threesome with and took from me was her own brother. I should call it Karma, but that is just not me. I can never use something like that against anyone. I am not one who finds pleasure in others’ sufferings. It’s just not who I am. I got up and went to Ivy’s side and gave her a hug. The twins kicked, which shocked Ivy a bit, but then was replaced by a smile. I sat beside her and held her hand. My stepmother continued,
“Your husband was the one who discovered the truth about the lie I was living. Your father was under my influence because he wanted to keep his family together. Hence, he went on with the lie I cooked up about your mother. But it was wrong of me to make him neglect you for my own benefits. Your father lost everything, and he sent us away because of my deceit. Your father is a proud man and would never apologize to you, but one thing I know is that he regrets everything. Lord Archer offered him 100 billion dollars to stay away from you, but your father refused to take the money and start afresh with his life. Robert has always been business-minded. 100 billion is an amount he has never made in his lifetime, but he refused to trade you for that amount. He regrets everything, Maya. I also regret everything. If I could have told Robert that Ivy wasn’t his, he could have continued to stay with me and made the world not believe that Ivy wasn’t his. But I was afraid that he would love you more than he loved Ivy, which was selfish of me. I destroyed our family because of my own insecurities and lies. It will take time for me to forgive myself for what I did. This has been eating me for years, but I would act all stone to hide my emotions. But I am here to ask you to forgive your father. You can hate me, but please don’t hate Robert. I made him believe all the wrong things for my own gain. Robert is a great man and a great father. He loved you both unconditionally, but I came between that love and made him care for the one who was never his. I am scared Robert might try to harm himself because he regrets everything. In the 30 years of my marriage, I have never seen your father cry, not even once. But when he found out you were his only child and his actions towards you, he cried. That is why, even after losing everything, he didn’t fight for his assets. He said the only thing that matters to him is to get his daughter to forgive him. He doesn’t care if he loses it all; he just wants to make peace with you, even though he won’t say it out loud. Your father needs you, Maya.”
I don’t know how I feel about all this information. I should curse the woman before me, but it took a lot of courage for her to come here today. What do I do?